Rebuilding The Sixers

By AlexBoii on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 5:20pm.

Maybe it's from frustration of seeing this team being mediocre all the time, but I would not mind seeing this team being totally rebuilt. Here's a set of scenarios that would still satisfy me. What do you think?

Trades: A trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers involving a sign-and-trade of Andre Miller. The Pacers would get Miller (I would say a 2 yr/17 Mil deal, to match numbers, plus a player-option the 2nd year), Samuel Dalembert, and Sasha Vujacic. The Lakers would get Thaddeus Young, Jeff Foster, and Willie Green. The Sixers would get Andrew Bynum, T.J. Ford, and Jamaal Tinsley's contract. Indiana has been wanting to shake up their PG situation, and a vet like Miller would be perfect, while getting rid of Tinsley's contract off the payroll. Although Dalembert's contract is awful as well, at least he could play and at least replicate Foster's numbers. He's a better rebounder and shot-blocker, granted way more overpaid. The Lakers would clear some salary space because Bynum is a BYC player, so it saves the team over 5 Mil that could help re-sign Lamar Odom. Willie Green's contract is apparently non-guaranteed, so maybe they can save more by buying him out.They also get an insurance in Young in the case Odom does not return. I feel the Lakers are overpaying Bynum, and they won the championship with him only playing 19 MPG. Getting a guy like Foster who knows his role could be better as Ron Artest would take away shots from Bynum anyway. The Sixers get two starters in Ford and Bynum.

The other trade is another ground shaker. The move would send Elton Brand for Hamilton and Kwame Brown. Brand would work well in Detroit, giving them much-needed depth at the 4, and a defensive presence. This also creates more minutes for the new acquisition of Ben Gordon. This gives the Sixers a true 2-guard. This could be a risky move for the Pistons given Brand's recent health misfortunes, but he has been recently reported to be ready for training camp.

Signings: If you counted the current roster, trades, and the one first round draft pick, it leaves the team with only 10 players. With the mid-level, they would sign the remaining requirement of players to fill the required 13 minimum. I like athletic big Ryan Hollins as a real possibility. He played for the Mavericks playoff team this past season, and could potential be used in energy minutes during the season, or a bigger role with potential injuries. Dionte Christmas (local favorite who fills a positional need) and Rob Kurz (played for the Warriors last season, also grew up in PA) are more notable names on the team's summer league squad, and would be nice additions at the end of the roster.

This roster would not be a championship caliber team right away, but these moves keep Iguodala in the fold with players he would preferably like to have. He expressed his disgust in the team's finish this season, and stated he would talk to Stefanski about moves they should make, so these moves to me appear to be along the lines he'd like. I think this team would be an upgrade over Sixer teams of the recent past. Depending on the team's health, this team will be a contender sooner rather than later.

How can you respond with mere laughs after my extensive explanation? If you're going to simply say "The Lakers will never trade Bynum" or "Nobody wants Dalembert's contract" you're going to have to explain yourself. And look, in a league where Austin Croshere and Brian Cardinal can receive 8 figure contracts, Pau Gasol and Richard Jefferson can get traded for next to nothing, and teams actually trading for Mike Dunleavy's and DeSagana Diop's contracts, many crazy moves aren't totally out of the question. And while I'm not saying the Pacers or Lakers will be totally ecstatic over the trade just upon the offer at first, it should at least be considered. It has been reported that the Pacers could be interested in a deal to get Miller in a sign-and-trade situation. For the Lakers, they could simply rule that they need to re-obtain Odom by any mean's possible, which could come down to simply believing Odom is more crucial than Bynum, so he becomes expendable. Like I stated in the original post, the trade for them saves them at least 5 mil next year, while getting players that have contracts lasting the next 2 years, opposed to Bynum's 3 years plus team option, so that makes sense fiscally.

And are you going to reference the Lakers not trading Bynum to get Jason Kidd? At the time, they were going to have to commit a handsome change to an aging Kidd, plus they were very high on his potential at that point. I just think there's a chance the Lakers could rule that Bynum's role with the team may not be so crucial as it was once thought, given how they made it to the finals one year without him playing at all, then won the championship this year with him in in a limited role.

Well Ok, I thought you were being more critical of the moves being ridiculous, as opposed to totally resurrecting the team. Unfortunately, this isn't like baseball where you can develop your "farm system" and then "grow" your team that way. There's a thing called the salary cap, which the Sixers' cap is terrible. It can only get worse if the team decides to bring Miller back. And as Charles Barkley said best "The team is too bad to be any more than a playoff team, but they are too good to get decent draft picks" The Sixers will be in NBA purgatory if they stand pat and "grow" the team the way it is now.

And no, I am not saying Thaddeus Young is on the trading block. In fact, depending who you ask, Young may be more valuable to the Sixers long term than Iguodala, based on production tied with Iguodala is paid like a franchise player, while Young is still in his rookie contract. I just think he becomes expendable when you get an opportunity to land a talented 7 footer in Bynum.

So yes, technically this is all "rebuilding," but you create a team where Hamilton, Bynum, and Kapano all have championship rings. Then literally all of players, excluding the rookies of course, have NBA playoff experience. This team is very reconstructed, but should be able to compete immediately.

You both are right in your own ways, like we don't want to trade Thad, but there is definetly ways we can improve and rebuild. However it seems like right now there is no way we can move guys like Willie Green, Dalembert, or Miller. Somehow it seems like we are at a crossroads right now. The latest is that Lou Williams will be the starting point guard. The whole idea of getting a mentor for Jrue Holiday is sort of bogus. Williams would know exactly what Holiday needs to do anyways! Look at Lou, he was a project at one time too and he's improved a lot over his career and hopefully this opportunity to start will help his career take off.

So let's try this again.. Who do you think we should trade, be realistic.

Ok, so I'm going to alter the original idea I had. Instead of including the Lakers in that 3-way deal, how about the Clippers? The move would send Chris Kaman to the Sixers, and the same players that went to the Lakers would be sent to the Clippers. This works for Indiana too, as they don't have to add on a Sasha Vujacic's contract. Does it seem any more logical now?

What is wrong with Kaman? If you compare him with Bynum's numbers last year: Kaman: 12ppg, 8 rpg, 1.5 bpg 30 mpg. Bynum: 14 ppg. 8 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 29 mpg. And Kaman did average 16 ppg, 13 rpg, and 3 bpg on the Clippers depleted team the season prior. Kaman is not that far off, plus he had to deal with players like Zach Randolph and Baron Davis that wanted nothing to do with the play calling by coach Dunleavy. No, Kaman isn't as talented, but he's productive in his own right.

And to comment on your move ideas...they don't make any fiscal sense considering the economy these days. Keeping a subordinate Dalembert around for 2 more years does no good, period. Seriously, you'd rather take Dalembert over Kaman? If you keep Young and Thomas around, you have to consider they need to be locked up long term soon, which only adds to the team's salary problem. But again, I'm not implying the team has to trade Thaddeus. And 3rd, why would the team keep Hinrich for 3 years when you have Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday? At least in that T.J. Ford acquisition, you consider he only has two years, plus make a few trips to the inactive list, allowing quality time for Williams and Holiday to develop at a medium pace, while giving them extended playing time when Ford goes out.

Your lack of educated insight is more than compensated for by your keenly developed moral bankruptcy.